


Breakout

by Pantherlily



Series: Caleb and Nott Origins [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alcoholism mention, But not terribly graphic, Goblin Prejudice, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 09:02:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13633080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pantherlily/pseuds/Pantherlily
Summary: Nott and Caleb go to jail, only to breakout of it. Companion piece to Begin Anew. Don't need to read it to understand this story, however.  Part 2 of 3 in a series.





	Breakout

As the days went by, Caleb and Nott began to become close friends. They watched out for each other and took care of each other as needed. They stayed in the forests mostly, avoiding as many established settlements as they could. But when Nott ran out of alcohol, they decided to make a supply run and risked going into the nearest town.

They had used white strips of cloth, now dirty with travel, to wrap around her to try and hide as much of her green skin as possible. A piece of a porcelain mask had also been recovered to try and hide the lower half of her face and the hood on her cloak the upper. Truly not the best disguise but as long as no one looked too closely or too long, she could pass as a halfling.

“Caleb.” The goblin couldn’t hide the small shake in her voice.

The wizard knew his friend quite well at this point and with a snap of his fingers, Frumpkin was laying like a scarf along Nott’s shoulders.

“Thank you.” A shaking hand reached up to pet the magically real cat. “I need to get some soon.” She tried to stop the tremors in her hand but even with Frumpkin there, it was difficult to do so.

“I know. We just need to be careful, all right?” Caleb smiled and took his friend’s hand. This would not be the first time they used the ruse of being father and daughter.

No one really gave them a second look as they walked through the new town. Everyone was busy doing their own thing and as long as they didn’t bother anyone, no one bothered them either.

“Which con are we going to use today?” Nott glanced up to Caleb, her voice a whisper.

“Uh well, maybe I could just distract someone while you scratch that itch and you get what you need. Kill two birds with one stone, yeah?”

“We still don’t have a name for that.”

“How about looky-loo?”

“I like it!” Nott gave a satisfied grin.

“Good, me too.” Seeing his friend so happy was enough to make him grin back.

A loud noise startled Nott and the grip in Caleb’s hand got tighter, as she pressed closer to him.

“It’s fine. Everything is okay.” Frumpkin began butting his head lightly on the goblin’s neck.

After a few moments Nott calmed and the grip on her friend’s hand loosened. “Sorry…I…” She trailed off, staring at the ground.

“You never have to apologize or explain yourself to me, okay?” Caleb stopped walking and knelt down, so they would eye to eye, a finger lifting the chin slowly and carefully.

“O-okay.” Nott let her head be lifted but avoided direct eye contact.

“Good. Now let’s get you that drink, yeah?” He ruffled her head gently before standing back to his full height and continued on walking.

Nott merely nodded in agreement, glancing around to look for an easy mark. “What about over there?” She let go of Caleb’s hand to point over to a general store that didn't look too busy at the moment.

“Yeah, all right.”

The duo walked inside the store, Caleb letting go of Nott’s hand and walking up to the elf behind the counter. To help make sure the shopkeeper kept their eyes on him, he moved forward as if to go around the counter and look at some books on a shelf.

“Oi! You there, ya can’t be back ‘ere.”

“Oh sorry! I’m just trying to get a better look at those books.”

“Look from there.”

“Right, will do. Can you tell me about that book there?” He pointed to one behind the elf.

Nott glanced around the store, scratching behind Frumpkin’s ears and exhaling slowly. She was trying hard to stay calm. There were more patrons than she was anticipating and it only added to her anxiety. The goblin began to sneak towards something that looked particularly interesting, at least to her.

She was doing her best not to attract attention to herself, but her jitters have must have got the best of her. Nott ended up bumping into a dangling windchime. Not expecting the noise and already on edge, she started once more and ended up running into a table. It jostled her mask loose and a few glances were thrown her way.

One woman screamed and pointed at her, making Nott flinch away and try to make herself even smaller than she already was.

“You there!” A Crown’s Guard must have been in the establishment because one rounded on her with a sword drawn.

Her eyes darted towards the weapon and then looked around frantically for Caleb, as panic began to take over.

“Don’t move goblin scum, or I’ll skewer you right here and now. Just give me a reason.” The Crown’s Guard sneered down at her, as if daring her to move.

“Caleb!” Her voice was clearly frantic, and she didn’t know what else to do, other than remain still.

The wizard had heard the commotion, but he was trying to remain calm and think of a way to get them out of this.

“Get this one too! ‘e was tryin’ to steal my books!” The shopkeeper pointed to Caleb, clear suspicion in his eyes.

“What? No, I was just loo-” Caleb stopped in the middle of a word, as another Crown’s Guard came around brandishing a weapon. “Look, we didn’t do anything. We’ll just leave.”

“This one’s with that monster! Traitorous scum to yer kind!” The guard yelled over to their companion but didn’t take their eyes off Caleb.

An unwarranted blow to the head with the hilt of the blade instantly knocked Caleb out.

“ _Caleb!_ ” Nott shrieked her friend’s name as she watched him fall. “Why did you do that? He didn’t do anything!”

“This one’s an evil witch! The cat on it’s shoulder just disappeared! We should kill it now!”

“Please don’t! I didn’t do anything!” Nott tried to get closer to Caleb but the sword at her throat made her think twice about that.

The ruckus must have been heard outside because someone quite important looking walked in.

“Lawmaster Porival!” The Crown’s Guard said at the same time, when their superior entered.

“What is going on in here?” The Lawmaster eyed the two guards critically.

“These two were caught stealing.”

“Yeah! One’s a goblin, we should kill it!”

“You will not kill _her_. We are not barbarians, there will be a trial and their judgment dealt out after that.”

“Please ma’am, we didn’t do anything!” Nott looked pleadingly to what she was pretty sure was a half-elf and far more reasonable then these awful men trying to arrest them.

“It would behoof to be remain silent small one, at least for the time being.” The tone was firm but not condescending.

The goblin had endured many insults from others and her own kin, that Nott knew there was no sneering or malice behind the words. Truth be told, being called ‘small one’ was probably one of the nicer things she had been called. A small nod of her head was given, and she looked back over to Caleb, who was stilling lying on the floor. She chanced a look back at the Lawmaster and she swore a sad smile was given when their eyes met very briefly.

“And what about the man on the floor? Did he attack or otherwise threaten you or anyone else?” Lawmaster Porival’s arms crossed over her chest, looking quite unimpressed with her subordinates.

The Crown’s Guard next to Caleb’s body deflated a little, looking away from the Lawmaster in what looked like shame. “Well no…not exactly as such…”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “You knocked an unarmed man unconscious for what reason?”

“He was with that thing! Who knows what kinda tricks either one of them.” Any shame that might have been there was replaced with indignation.

A slow sigh escaped the Lawmaster, as if trying to keep herself calm. “Right. We’ll hear all about at the trial, I suppose.” She motioned for more Crown’s Guards to come in and they began questioning the other patrons and shopkeeper.

Caleb’s body was lifted by two Crown’s Guard, thankfully one was not the jerk who had hit him. Nott paused briefly as she was being pulled out in chains. “Ma’am can I please stay with him?” Her voice was a whisper and she almost stumbled onto her face as the chains kept pulling, even after she had stopped.

“See to it they are put in the same cell. No further harm will come to either of them. Anyone who wants to contest that, will have to deal with me.” Her voice was full of authority and it seemed unlikely the direct order would be disobeyed. "Why do they keep sending me idiots?" The question was clearly to herself and under her breath, as a hand rand over her exasperated face.

“Th-thank you.” Nott quietly trotted after the Crown’s Guard, her head down as a few townsfolks yelled and screamed obscenities at her. To their credit or perhaps fear of the Lawmaster, they ensured no one touched her. One even used their shield to deflect food being thrown at her.

It wasn’t long before she was alone in the cell with her friend. All her belongings had been taken and the shackles removed, but that hardly mattered at the moment. “Caleb.” She knelt down next to him, anxious and worried. “Please wake up soon.”


End file.
